When To Buy a New Tire?

[IanDMacDonald]

So, for us not that knowledgable about buying and replacing tires, how do I know when to replace my tires? I read an interesting article on "wear bars", and did not find them on my tires (Metzeler 880/88's)
http://www.thebikersgarage.com/motor...ire-wear-bars/

[James England]

All tyres, and tires, have them. They are not apparent when the tyre is new but will show up as it wears. Personally, I would never run a tyre to anywhere near the wear bars, legal minimum though they indicate. They are more prone to punctures when getting down to the bars and a new tyre is a lot less expensive than a hip pinning, broken elbow, fractured skull etc caused by a blowout. Poverty-stricken though A have been, I'd never skimp on a tyre..or a tire...

[DGXSER]

Other than visual indicators, the rest is subjective opinion as to when you should replace a tire. (It's a US based site James, you can call it a Tyre on the UK site)

They do all have the wear bars, but other factors are age and miles. When I bought my first XS11, the tires looked fine. I put about 5k miles on the first year, they were Kenda tires IIRC. Next season I went for a group ride with some local XSives. I recalled looking the tires over before the ride and not seeing anything to indicate they were worn. When I got back from the 300 miles of riding my back tire had a 6" strip of thread showing!!! Of course I changed that one right away.

Age has many effects on the life of the tire. From my experiences over the years, an older tire actually wears out faster. The rubber also hardens and may not grip the road as well, which could have bad results in spirited riding.

As for millage, it seems between 6-8k miles is the average life expectancy for a rear tire, maybe 10-12k for a front. So you can use those numbers to estimate when you might need to preemptively make the swap if your not seeing signs.

[James England]

Agreed... I had a bike with loads of tread on the tyres/tires/pneus but they were hard as rock and had hardly any grip on the road.

I would give them no more than 2 years life expectancy and would change before the tread gets near the bars. The money saved by running a tire to the bars, as opposed to changing earlier, really is next to nothing. And, like I said before, falling off due to a rubbish tyre and being injured, however slightly , just isn't worth it. Even the biggest tire has only a relatively small contact area on the road and it's essential that what does touch the road should be as efficient as possible.

I run my XJR on Pirelli Corsa tires. They are the best I've ever had on a bike. Not cheap but worth it...even though we have free healthcare here in UK

[haywardguy929]

Total safety issue for me, even if the tire is bare and no thread showing you still lose control breaking when it rains/ sudden stops / handling. A blow out on the highway isn't worth the risk of squeezing out a few extra miles.

[skids]

On a daily commuter bike, I would take it to the wear bars with conditions:

Never take it to go-directly-to-jail speed.

If the wear profile makes it corner stupidly, change it.

Don't plan any long trips.

I only had one flat in my life and that was with a brand new tube and tire with a pinched tube (78E).

One thing is for sure...a new tire really feels good with the bike's handling!!!

[MaximPhil]

I am also convinced tires wear faster as they approach the wear bars.
Once you know what you are looking for they are easy to find.
I need to replace my rear before next trip. Just about at the wear bars.
Phil

[IanDMacDonald]

Yeah, I guess I can't see the wear bars on mine.

[jetmechmarty]

I wear 'em out!

The Metzeler ME880 I just took off my front wheel had plenty of tread on it. It was two years old. It was cracking in the tread grooves, so I no longer trusted it. Bye bye to that one!

[jjz28]

I wear 'em out!

The Metzeler ME880 I just took off my front wheel had plenty of tread on it. It was two years old. It was cracking in the tread grooves, so I no longer trusted it. Bye bye to that one!

well, since this Is my first time changing them, I guess when they are 11 years old.

[jjz28]

Marty, I didn't mean to quote that, sorry. I could not edit, waited to long.

[trbig]

I wear 'em out!

The Metzeler ME880 I just took off my front wheel had plenty of tread on it. It was two years old. It was cracking in the tread grooves, so I no longer trusted it. Bye bye to that one!

I've got differing opinions on this one. I've seen many tires do this, but honestly, you're looking at a spot in the tire that is the absolute thinnest rubber. Between that rubber and the air inside, you have at least two overlapping layers of belts/chords, then another thick layer of rubber. It isn't like that crack can just readily split and go all the way through the tire (Tyre for James)

Just about every front tire I've owned develops at least a little cracking in those grooves. I wonder if you could get a straight answer about it from any tire manufacturer, or if you'd just get the legal response? Marty, have your wife send one of them a memo on a legal-headed document and see what they respond with? lol..

[motoman]

I've got differing opinions on this one. I've seen many tires do this, but honestly, you're looking at a spot in the tire that is the absolute thinnest rubber. Between that rubber and the air inside, you have at least two overlapping layers of belts/chords, then another thick layer of rubber. It isn't like that crack can just readily split and go all the way through the tire (Tyre for James)

Just about every front tire I've owned develops at least a little cracking in those grooves. I wonder if you could get a straight answer about it from any tire manufacturer, or if you'd just get the legal response? Marty, have your wife send one of them a memo on a legal-headed document and see what they respond with? lol..

......can bout tell you what'cha gonna get for a response based on this happening to an Avon Storm II tire IIRC on an ST13(and another having a blow-out @70 while in a sweeper curve).......not quoted, but in essence was told in a nicely written reponse that the tire was not designed to be exposed to large temperature changes as this caused the cracking/seperation.

[trbig]

......can bout tell you what'cha gonna get for a response based on this happening to an Avon Storm II tire IIRC on an ST13(and another having a blow-out @70 while in a sweeper curve).......not quoted, but in essence was told in a nicely written reponse that the tire was not designed to be exposed to large temperature changes as this caused the cracking/seperation.

Well.. considering those facts and the tire I have on the front that I was talking about being an Avon tire (Venom)....





I guess I'll get a front tire ordered for the trip out east next month. A tire is a lot cheaper than trying to figure out how to get a wrecked bike home over 1,000 miles away. I've tried to show them a couple times, but the bikes don't seem to catch on as to how to bounce and roll as well as I do down the road. Matter of fact, they just downright suck at it.

[BA80]

Well.. considering those facts and the tire I have on the front that I was talking about being an Avon tire (Venom)....





I guess I'll get a front tire ordered for the trip out east next month. A tire is a lot cheaper than trying to figure out how to get a wrecked bike home over 1,000 miles away. I've tried to show them a couple times, but the bikes don't seem to catch on as to how to bounce and roll as well as I do down the
road. Matter of fact, they just downright suck at it.

I'm damn proud of you Tod. You haven't wrecked anything I know of this year. As far as I know you haven't even dropped one at a gas pump.